Bacolod: The continuing system rehabilitation efforts by Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) have led to a significant reduction in unscheduled power interruptions, with a 70 percent decrease reported in its coverage area in central Negros.
According to Philippines News Agency, this reduction is a result of Negros Power's strategic interventions, which include system automation, redundancy, and equipment upgrades. The power company distributes electricity to the cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, and Bago, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.
Leomel Tambanillo, who serves as Negros Power spokesperson and assistant vice president for planning and business operations, highlighted the progress made during the maintenance of the Bacolod-Alijis 69kV line by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). Negros Power managed to prevent outages for almost half of its consumers under the jurisdiction of the Murcia and Alijis substations.
Tambanillo stated that the company's rehabilitation initiatives have significantly reduced unexpected power interruptions, marking substantial progress toward achieving the long-term goal of providing uninterrupted power service across central Negros. During the recent NGCP scheduled eight-hour power interruption on October 25, the advanced load transfer system implemented by Negros Power reduced the number of affected households and businesses from 93,994 to 47,102.
According to Negros Power, the ability to reroute power and maintain supply to a large portion of the affected areas is directly linked to its continuous investments in system upgrades. The company also utilized the NGCP shutdown window to expedite its system upgrades and rehabilitation works, a key component of its five-year modernization program for central Negros.
Negros Power aims to enhance system performance and reliability while minimizing the need for additional consumer interruptions. Last month, the company announced a PHP192 million investment for a 37.5 megavolt amperes (MVA) mobile substation, which is expected to be acquired by May next year. This mobile substation will temporarily serve customers during maintenance of permanent substations, forming part of the company's five-year development plan.
